Letters 7/3 - 7/11

Bear Creek's principal getting administrative leave

These recent weeks we have seen society wake up to its double standards and bigotry, whether it is seeing a 11 year old boy as a second-class citizen because he cherishes one of the many cultures that coexist in this country or the casual use of the n-word to refer to wait staff for a plantation themed wedding we can't deny that we still have a long way to go to achieve justice and equality for all, actually we have a long way just to see the double standards we walk by everyday so achieving equality for all seems just too far out of reach but it doesn't have to be that way because at Bear Creek Elementary it already isn't!

The school year of 2013-2014 will have two kindergarten classes, two first grade classes, two second grade classes and two third grade classes learning through Spanish immersion. By the year 2016 half of the children that come out of Bear Creek Elementary will be fully fluent in Spanish and English. How will they do this? By submerging themselves into the sounds, tastes and traditions of new cultures. Bear Creek celebrates diversity; having multiple cultures thriving side-by-side allows our children to be enriched by celebrating their differences, respecting them and learning from them as well.

In the last few years under Matt Montoya's leadership, Bear Creek students, performance has improved exponentially. Not just the students in the Spanish immersion program, but all of the children at Bear Creek have had the quality of their education improved because Matt Montoya and his staff have created a environment that is conducive for our children to explore with openness new cultures and welcome with excitement learning that enriches all of the aspects of their lives.

Matt Montoya is a dynamic, caring, committed and driven principal who has infused our school with those qualities and it shows in our children. Parents at Bear Creek have the best interest of their children at heart and in their minds and removing a principal that has improve our school because of bureaucracy shows that superintendent Ron Wilkinson does not have the same priorities the Bear Creek family has. Bear Creek does not have a liberal or conservative agenda, because Bear creek doesn't have a political agenda. At Bear Creek we cherish a multicultural experience that will create a generation of children that will not have to purge themselves of racist, double standards or bigotry because at Bear Creek children are welcome to be themselves, be proud of their culture while welcoming others and their cultures as they are. Bear Creek elementary is a step forward for our community and this country.

—Joanne Mina

Event Promoters—
Your Responsibility

This weekend of June 22nd Deschutes Brewery held their 25th Anniversary celebration in Drake Park. Deschutes Brewery did an awesome job in being a socially responsible event organizer—music levels were within ordnance, alcohol monitoring was very present, and all breakdown was completed immediately after the event. In fact, during my 5 am walk in the park the next morning, the only sign that a major event had been held were the neatly stacked trash bins waiting for pick up. Good job Deschutes Brewery.

Promoters of several recent events here in Bend need to follow Deschutes Brewery's lead. Parking lots not cleaned by the next morning and trail ribbon still in place a week later are not acceptable.

And...we as citizens need to demand exemplary behavior of promoters. That is, call them out when they don't meet the standards of our fine community.

Again, good job Deschutes Brewery!

—Kevin English

One Day At a Time

Concerning changes to One day at a Time.

Hmm......

Nope. No Changes.

—MGA

Fear and Loathing on
the fourth

Bend knows a thing or two about freedom expression, and I witnessed that first hand. I was felling fresh, maybe even jovial driving my purple (midnight blue) Saturn south through volcano land last night. I paid about ten buck for a six-pack of Deschutes River Ale at Quick Mart in north Bend, it's going to be worth it I told myself. I had received a group message from an acquaintance who happened to be housesitting, included in the message was an immaculate view of the butte. An advantageous spot to watch the thing catch fire, I thought. I had met the host on the night of the Cake and Built to Spill concert, where I decided the full bottle of red was the best bet economically, and ended up downtown after the show, dancing. After picking up my sixer I parked at my normal spot, in the small city lot at the corner of Wall and Greenwood. I had planned to have a beer at Sidelines before heading over to watch the fireworks. About that time I took a call from my sister. The party on the east side had taken a turn for the worst. It had become a drench things in lighter fluid, spark it, and throw it into the street type of party. A real show, where no one seemed that interested in playing croquet. We decided to meet up. It was about that time that beer started raining down on me from the roof dwellers above. She parked close by about five minutes later. We watched a group of guys stumble along with no sleeves on their shirts, and wrapped bandanas on their heads. One muscular guy attempted to ride his longboard and crashed instantly, much to the chagrin of the roofers above. We saw projectile fireworks exploding at street level. Shortly after, someone was pissing on the hood of my car from three stories up. It was time to go. Opening the door of my home in Redmond some people passed by in a car and someone yelling "Can we have some money?" I'm sorry, but the firework stand is closed.

—Matthew Kirk

in reply to "abridged gaytionary" (feature 6/27)CORRECTION!! The Source recently included a section entitled "Abridged Gaytionary." While I agree most of the terms and definitions were correct, there was one that was completely off base. The term "Kiki" is loosely defined as a meeting of friends for the purpose of gossiping and chit-chat, used mainly in gay culture. The Scissor Sisters said it best: LET'S HAVE A KIKI!!

—Joshua Warner

I am an 82-year-old proletarian liberal who voted for Pres. Obama and Pres. Eisenhower, the only president to warn the people about the military industrial complex! Today they run the American empire with the largest war machine ever seen, with their 1,000 plus military bases and their catastrophic NSA and CIA covert cowards! All to protect the upper 1 percent with their never-ending greed and plundering and 25-cents-an-hour slave factories all over the planet! Their perpetual profitable wars, invasions, bombings and drownings, black torture sites and their propaganda media machines will only lead to the eventual extinction of all life! Including their own! These cruel forces would even today, declare Eisenhower treasonous and probably torture him for his democratic views!

I support Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks Julian Assange for their splendid courage as TRUTH SAYERS about the corruption and crimes against all life on this small planet.

—Alice Keiser Greth, Retired science teacher, librarian—descendent of American revolutionary John Christopher Shearer, wounded at the Battle of Brandywine.

**Editor's note: Thanks for sharing your support Alice! We can relate to your fore-father's plight as we were wounded in the Battle of Whiskeygin this weekend. In solidarity, enjoy a $5 gift certificate to Crow's Feet Commons.